Pneumatic tire.



No. 724,830. PATENTED APR, '7, 1903. W. EvDMUND PNEUMATIG TIRE.

y APPLICATION FILED JAN. 21, 1902.

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PNBUMATIG TIRE.

2PPL1cATIoN'F1LBD JAN. 21, 1902.

No Monm. a SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 7243330. y PATENTD APR, '7, 1903.

rW.BDMU1\IDS.`

PNEUMATIG TIRE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2l, 1902.

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` UNITED STATES PATENT @Erica WILBRAHAM EDMUnDs,l or LONDON, ENGLAND.

-PNEUMATIC TIRE.

SPECIFICATION forming'part of Letters Patent No. 724,830, dated April 77, 1905. Application inea rimry' z'1,19oz senti No. 90,717. No modela When the action o f a pneumatic tire is duly considered, it will be seen that the functions of the tread and of the sides are quite different, and it would therefore appear, aprt'orz',

to be a necessary step to render such a tire as efficient as it ought to be instead of the tread and the sides being made of similar character and to differ only in thickness, as they are .in tires as still commonly made, to clearly differentiate these parts in construction, 'so

that each part shall be specially adapted to fulfil its own'particular functions.

The present invention has for its object to produce in a cheap and practicable manner pneumatic tires the tread and side portionsj of which are specially designed to'fulfil their own particular functions in an advantageous manner, such tires being particularly suitable for use on motor-cars and other heavy ve-l hicles.

various novel features of construction and in combinations and arrangements off'parts, alli as hereinafter described, and set out in the accompanying claims.

In the accompanyingillustrative drawings, Figures l and 2 show, respectively in side elevation and cross-section, part of a drum with material thereon for forming treads for pneumatic tires according to this invention. Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 are cross-sections, Fig. 3 showing a compound ring, Fig. LLshowing the said ring mounted on an annular support,Fig. 5 showing the ring inclosed in a mold, and Fig. 6 showing a modified construction of mold. Fig. l7 is a cross-section, and Fig. 8 a

Kside elevation to a smaller scale, showing a modified form of mold with part of a press and a compound ring under treatment in such mold. Fig. 9 is a cross-section showing a modified constructionofcompound ring. Fig. l0 shows in side view part of a wire ring or band. Fig. 11 is a cross-section showing another modified construction ofcompound ring. Fig. 12 shows in cross-section a pneumatic tire with a further modified construction of tread. Fig. 13 isa plan showing, part of a tire with metal protecting-shoes thereon, and Fig. 14 is a section on the line A A of Fig. 13. Fig. 15 is a detail View showing how a pocket for the air-tube of a pneumatic tire such as described may conveniently be constructed.

Upon a drum a, Figs. 1 and 2, of suitable size is tightly wrapped a band b of thin material, such as cotton, covered with india-rubber solution on its outer side. Around the covered band and arrangedtransverselythereto are placed strips c c' of rubber of equal thickness, which are caused by solution to stick to the band and to one another and which are so prepared that on being vulcanized they Will become alternately hard and soft. The strips c c may vary in thickness in different cases from about one-eighth of an inch to about three-eighths of an inch and in breadth from about one-quarter of an inch to about one inch,and in each case the hard strips c may, if desired, be made broader than the soft stripsc. All over the layer of strips thus formed is wound one, two, or more layers d of strongthread, (two layers are shown,) the said thread on its Way to the drum being passed For this purpose the invention consists in! through'indi'a-rubber. solution. Around the layer or layers d o f thread is arranged another layer of transverse'rubber strips c c' similar to ,those c c'in the first layer, but those strips designed to be hard in the one layer being arranged opposite those designed to be soft in the otherlayer. f One or more thin layers e of soft rnbber'or of prepared cotton may be placed on one orboth sides of either or both of the hard and soft layers c c. The drum ct is then rotated land the material thereon cut through, as indicated at the right-hand side of Fig. 1, s o as to form rings of the desired breadth, the

cuts being made sloping alternately to oneV side' and the other, as shown. Therings thus formed are then removed from the drum, the alternate ones being turned inside out, so that all the rings will have their broadest portions inward andtheir narrowest portions IOO Each comthe annular support,) which has a rounded outer periphery adapted to fit the concave side of the soft-rubber strip f. Each compound ring is then covered with a layer t of soft rubber, which may be made thicker on the outer surface than at the sides. The ring is then vulcanized in a circular mold, which may be variously constructed. The mold may conveniently and cheaply be formed, as shown in Fig. 5, by placing segmental strips 7c of metalfor example, zinc-against the sides and a strip cf, preferably of thin steel, around the periphery of the compound ring, so as, in conjunction with the annular support g, to form an annular' mold the parts of which are held together by winding suitable material m-for example, cloth-spirally around the whole, as usual in the rubber manufacture; or in lieu of metal segments 7c,asjust mentioned, a ring k', Fig. 6, may be used, formed of a strip of thin sheet metal rolled to an inverted trough-section corresponding to that of the compound ring and provided withaeouplingdevice adapted to draw its ends tightly together when placed around the compound ring and its annular support g. In this case it is preferred to form each side of the sheet-metal ring c' with a fiat annular portion k2, so that a number of such rings, with inclosed compound rings, may be readily piled one`upon another, the fiat portions k2 of the several rings 7c bearing one against the other and insuring that the compound rings will all be subject to equal compression on the several rings la', being subsequently clamped together. Sometimes, as for large compound rings, it is more convenient to remove the compound ring from its annular support g and partially vulcanize it piece by piece in a straight mold n, that is heated between the top and bottom hot plates o of a suitable press, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. In this case the mold yn is preferably made with an adjustable side portion n', so that it can be used for compound rings of various breadths as Well as of various circumferences. The said mold is also-preferably provided with a vertically-adjustable support p for carrying the. portion of the compound ring outside theV The compound rings after being thus mold. subjected to a preliminary vulcanization under pressure are replaced on their annular supports and their vulcauizaiion completed as in the other cases hereinbefore described, so as to form complete treads ready to be applied to the outer peripheries of pneumatic tires.

Treads such as described, particularly in the case of large sizes, may each be separately built up on an annular' support g, Fig. 9, and instead of the layer or layers'd of thread one or more rings q,of laced or widely-woven Wire, embedded in la layer r of soft rubber, may be used. Fig. l0 shows a portion of such a ring, formed ot' spirally-wound wire s, passed alter nately over and under transversely-arranged pins t of oval section placed, say, about one inch apart, the Wire being preferably of highquality steel of small gage, say about .813 millimeter. l

Sometimes, as in the case of treads for small light tires for cycles and in the case of treads intended to be placed on the top of existing tires without removing the outer rubber covers, treads such as hereinbefore described may be made with only one layer of hard and soft strips c c', as shown in Fig. 11, the hard strips c being then preferably made, in the case of small sizes, about three-eighths of an inch broad and the soft strips about oneeighth of an inch broad and in other sizes in about the same proportion. In this case a layer u of soft rubber should beformed over the layer d of thread to protect the same. The material from which such rings are cut not being uniform on its outer and innersurfaces,the rings cut from it cannot be reversed, as before, so that a little waste occurs in cutting the rings to shape so as to have beveled edges. Light rings thus made may or may not be covered all over with a layer of soft rubber like the others. Sometimes, again, treads having the properties herein desiderated are constructed according to this invention withoutconcentrically-arran ged layers of alternately-disposed strips c c' of hard and soft material. Fig. l2 shows a tread of this kind combined with a pneumatic tire comprising in the example an inner air-tube o and an outer cover w. Such a tread is made by placing around a metal ring of plano-convex section, such as hereinbefore referred to, a stripfof soft rubber of plano-concave section, around which is placed a transversely-inflexible but longitudinally liexible and compressible band w-such as described, for example, in t-he specification of Letters Patent granted to Thomas Dunn, dated June 28, 1892, No. L177,996--the said band being preferably covered with prepared textile material, so that it will adhere firmly to the rubber stripf. Around the band is placed a flat strip y of soft rubber having beveled sides and of a thickness corresponding, say, to that of the two layers of hard add soft strips c c' of the tread, (shown in Fig. 9,) and around the strip y of soft rubber is placed a flat inextensible band or layer z, similar to the band or layer (l used on the treads hereinbefore described, the whole being covered with a strip u of soft rubber, as in the said other constructions of treads. Treads thus constructed are preferably made up singly and may be made of vnlcanized materials, so that they will not require vulcanization when made. In this case such a tread is preferably applied to a tire before the outer layer u of soft rubber is put on, a layer u2 of prepared canvas being preferably laid all over the tread and the sides of the tire, so that the tread becomes firmly united with the tire, after which the outer layer u' of soft rubber is placed around and secured to the canvas layer u2. Theinextensible layer or band in tires thus constructed, as in the IOO ICC

IIO

point of contact with the ground, and theconstruction instead of impairing the ease of ru n'- ningof the tire, as would be the case if the strip y of india rubber were subject tocompression on contact with the ground, will add materially to its ease of running` and durability. The outerlayer u vof soft india-rubber is preferably molded to the same eXteriorshape'as the outside of the Vcompoundv rings herein previously described and so as to partly coverv the s ide portions of the tire, as shown.v The remaining portion of the sides o^f the tire require only to be' covered withal very thin layer of india rubber to protect them from moisture.:v This construction of.v

tire is very cheap to produce, as the rubber strip y, owing toy its being placed inside the inextensible band c, does not .require to be of such fine quality. and necessarily high cost as ordinary outer rubber covers. The said rubber strip may advantageously be made of old air-tubes, which are generally of very ine rubber and can be bought at a very low price.j To use them for the purpose mentioned, they arey cut open and washed in naphtha and.

then formed into sheets of suitable thickness with solution, the sheets being then cut into strips or bands of. the desired shape.

Treads of either ofthe forms hereinbefore described may'sometimes, as when applied to heavy vehicles, be furnished, as shown in Fig.

l3,with metal shoes 1 o-fsuitable shape formed,

for example, of thin rectangular pieces of iron or steel, preferably with beveled edges, and which are secured in any suitable manner around the running surface. Owing to the thickness of the threads such shoes can be nailed on like the metal heel and-toe pieces on the soles of boots and shoes. When these metal shoes are applied to treads which have not the alternate blocks of hard and soft rubber, it is desirable to place underneath the inextensible band or layer z, as shown in Fig.

14, a band 2 of thin metal plates, which is preferably covered with prepared fabric 3, so that such plates will be thereby securely held in their places and through holes in whichl plates the nails 4, that secure the. shoes l in place, pass into the india-rubber strip y. The band 2 of lplates being firmly held in place by the pressure ofy the air-tube o serves through the nails 4 to prevent circumferential motion of the shoes l on the tread.

It will'be readily understood thatV the objects of the plano-concave strip f, placed around the inner surfaces of thetreadshereinbefore described, are to adapt such treads to fit nicely on the tires, to preventthe edges of the treads damaging the fabrics of the tires to which they are applied, and to avoid too acute flexion of the sides of the tires along the edges of the treads.

In the improved treads the running surface may vary in breadth, say, from about threeeighths of an' inch for cycle-tires to about two inches for big motor-car tires, and to any greater breadth that may be desired for heavy vehicles. In thickness theyvmay vary from about one-quarter lof an inch for cycle-tires to one inch or more for big motor-cars and heavyvehicles. v

Treads constructed as hereinbefore described are designed to combine in the highest practicable degree the following properties: Theyare inflexible transversely, but as Vflexible,lcompressible, and elastic longitudinally within the small range necessary as if they were entirely of soft rubber, yet they will not appreciably compress between the besides being obviously very durable and protecting the tire from all ordinary risks of puncture. They may be applied to tires of all ordinary constructions, either on the top of the existing outer rubber covers orin substitution for the present outer rubber covers, which they may only slightly. exceed in weight, the sides of the tires then requiring only a very thin covering of rubber to protect them from wet, as the sides can nevel' come in contact with the road.

Made as described the improved treads, though, as has been said, compressible and elastic longitudinally, are practically inextensible and capableof standinga high strain. They should therefore be made of such a size circumferentially that when applied to a tire they will compress it by about their own= thickness, so that when thetread is ona tire Vof distributing the side strains to which these tires are subject and which affect them most severely overa `considerable .port-ion of the tirev before and behind theportion thatisat IOO IIO

cause of tire failures) around the whole tire,

it greatly reduces the destructive eiect of these strains, and transmits them much more -eiciently than usual.

As one of the advantages of these treads and one which is believed to be of supreme importance, particularly in the construction of vehicle-tires, is that they enable a tire of` given size to carry a given weight with only. about half the air-pressure necessary with tires of ordinary construction, it is preferred to use with the treads tires, which may beof any suitable form of attachment, having an outer cover w, Fig. l2, made with a single layer of unwoven transverse threads embedded in solution and formed into .a fabric by an inner or outer layer of thin textile material or by inner and outer layers of thin textile material, the threads of which are preferably arranged to cross the transverse threads at an angle of about forty-five degrees. Such a fabric is designed to stand to the best advantage the strains it has to bear, and, being very thin in proportion to its strength, it has great durability under the ection to which it is subject in use. This fabric is so thin that sometimes, particularly in'l the case of large tires, it is found desirable in order to secure greater durability and reliability to reinforce it by inclosing the air-tube o of such a tire in a pocket, which is preferably made, as shown in Fig. 15, by winding a strong thread 5, that is passed through rubber solution, in a close spiral around a tubular layer 6, of textile material, that is covered with india-rubber solution and is supported upon a mandrel 7. Such pockets 5 6 should be made a full size for the outer covers in which they are to be used and should in some convenient'manner be compressed transversely or slightly creased longitudinally, either all over or at certain parts, as at the sides or base. In Fig. 12 the pocket marked 5 6 is shown creased or wrinkled at the base of the tire, as indicated at 8. In this way each pocket can be readily made to lit exactly the interior of the outer cover w of the tire in which it is used and so as to be normally free from strain, in consequence of which they will suffer little wear by the lection of the tire; but should the outer cover w of such a tire fail the pocket will maintain the efficiency of the tire until the latter can conveniently be repaired.

Various modifications can be made in the construction of the tires herein described and in the apparatus and in the processes employed in producing them without departing from the principle of the invention. Thus sometimes, as when the running-surface of a tire is not materially narrower than the base of the thickened tread, it is found unnecessary to make the tread transversely inflexible, the inextensible band d or z being then relied upon to keep the tread fiat, and so prevent transverse flection therein.

It will be evident that various other changes can be made in-the details of construction of my treads and tires without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention so long as the relative arrangement of parts shown in the drawings or the mode of operation described in the specication is preserved.

What I claim isl. A tread for a pneumatic tire, comprising an inner portion of india-rubberof plano-concave section, a ring composed of transverse strips of hard and soft material arranged around said inner portion, a ring of india-rubber arranged around said ring of strips, and a longitudinally-extensible band of flexible material, fiat in section arranged to support said tread circumferentially.

2. A tread for a pneumatic tire comprising `concentric rings each composed of transverse strips alternately of hard and elastic material so arranged that the hard strips in one ring are opposite the elastic strips in the adjacent ring, a longitudinally-inextensible band of exible material arranged between the said rings, and a strip of elastic material of planoconcave section arranged within and attached to the said rings.

3. A tread for a pneumatic tire comprising concentric rings each composed of transverse strips alternately of hard and elastic material so'arranged that the hard strips in one ring are opposite the elastic strips in the adjacent ring, a longitudinally-inextensible band of flexible material arranged between the said rings, a strip of elastic material of plano-concave section arranged within and attached to the said rings, and an outer layer of indiarubber covering the outer periphery and sides of said rings, band and strip.

4. A tread for a pneumatic tire comprising concentric rings each composed of transverse strips alternately of hard and elastic material so arranged that the hard strips in one ring are opposite the elastic strips in the adjacent ring, a longitudinally-inextensible band of Iiexible material arranged between the said rings, a strip of elastic material of plano-con-v cave section arranged within and attached to the said rings, thin layers of exible material arranged around the outer ring and inside the inner ring, and an outer layer of indiarubber covering said rings, band and strip.

5. In a pneumatic tire,the combination with the inner air-tube and outer cover of the tire, of a tread comprising concentric rings each composed of transverse strips alternately of hard and elastic material so arranged that the hard strips in one layer are opposite the elastic strips in the adjacent layer, a longitudinally-inextensible band of flexible material arranged between the said rings, and a strip IOO of elastic material of plano-concave section arranged Within and attached to the .said rings.

6. The method of forming treads for a pneumatic tire, which consists in Wrapping a band of material, such as cotton,- spread withindiarubber solution,around a cylindrical support, iixingtransversely around the band strips of india-ru bber so prepared that on being vulcanized they kwill become alternately hard and soft, then Winding one or more layers of strong thread covered with india-rubber solution aroundthe layer of strips, covering the layer or layers of thread with` another layer composed of india-rubber, cutting rings of suitable section from the builtup'materi'al, attaching a strip of soft rubber of plano-concave section around the inside of eachring, and vulcanizing 'the compound rings thus formed.

7. The method of forming treads forapneumatic tire, which consists in Wrapping a band of material, such as cotton, spread with indiarubber solution, around a cylindrical sup.- port, fixing transversely around the band strips of india-rubber so prepared that on being vulcanized they will become alternately hard and soft, then winding one or more layers of strong thread covered Awith indiarubber solution around the layer of strips, covering the layer or layers of thread With another layer composed of india-rubber in the form of stripsvadaptedto form alternatelyarranged soft and hard strips, cutting rings of suitable section from the built-up material, attaching a strip of soft rubber of planoconcave section around the inside of each ring, and vulcanizing the said compound rings thus formed. 1

v 8. The method of forming treads for a pneumatic tire, which consists in wrapping a band of material, such as cotton, spread With indiarubber solution around a cylindrical support, fixing transversely around theY band strips of india-rubber so prepared that on being vulcanized they will become alternately hard and soft, then winding one or more layers of strong thread covered with indiarubber solution around the layer of strips, covering the layer or layers of thread With another layer composed of india-rubber, cutting rings of suitable section from the builtup material, attaching a strip of soft rubber of plano-concave section around the inside of each ring, applying an outer covering layer placed between the said strip or thickening and the outer cover of the tire, and the outer inextensible band being covered with a layer of rubber, substantially as described.

10.` In a pneumatic tire, the combination with the outer cover of the tire, of a laterallyinextensible airtube comprising an inner tube of india-rubber and a laterally-inextensible pocket inclosing said air tube, said pocket being formed of a tubular fabric the diameter of which is normally less than its full diameter so as to enable it to readily iit theinterior of the outer cover of the tire and be normally free from strain, but so that it will, in the event of failure of, such outer cover, act to maintain the efiiciency of the tire until it can be repaired, substantially as described.

1I. In a pneumatic tire, the combination with the outer cover of the tire, of a laterallyinextensible air tube comprising an inner tube of india-rubber and an inclosing pocket composed of transversely-wound thread, and one or more layers of textile fabric, the said pocket being compressed around its section, or creased longitudinally at various parts, so as to enable it to readily fit the interior of the outer cover ot' the tire and be normally free from strain,y but so that it will, in the event of failure of such louter cover, act to maintain the efciency of the tire until it can be repaired, substantially as described.

Signed at No. 17 Gracechurch street, in the city of London, England, this 11th day of January, 1902.

WILBRAHAM EDMUNDS. Witnesses:

HUGH HUGHES, T. J. OSMAN. 

